The Phantom and the Senator
by Boisterous Hal
Summary: One shot out-of-left-field crossover of Heroes and The Phantom of the Opera. Nathan Petrelli attends a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's popular musical. The resulting nightmare that haunts him makes him rethink his plans.


Summary and notes: One shot out-of-left-field crossover of Heroes and The Phantom of the Opera.

Nathan Petrelli attends a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's popular musical. The resulting nightmare that haunts him makes him rethink his plans. Can the flying man redeem himself before it's too late? This alternative story is set shortly after Vol. 3 Chap. 13 "Dual" and the preview of Volume Four. Warning: Possible spoilers for the Phantom of the Opera storyline. Mild horror themes.

This is my first Heroes fan fic (and of course I'm a fan of TPOTO too). Please let me know what you think of it.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Phantom of the Opera nor Heroes.

**********

Senator Nathan Petrelli sat solemnly at his executive desk, alone at home. He was thinking about the people he had betrayed, the people whom he had recommended to the President be detained for the safety of everyone. He had convinced himself that he had made the right decision, but intermittnently there were doubts creeping into his mind. In a few days time, Congress would vote on making Super-Primatech a reality.

Nathan's cell phone greeted him with the tune to "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen. Grabbing the phone, he read the name on the display: "Mom". He sighed, as she was one of the people who might soon be locked away in a "special detention facility". He hit the answer key.

"Hello, Ma."

"Hello, Nathan. How are you?"

"I've been busy. There's been a lot of paperwork to get through, and press to deal with after Primatech and Pinehearst disasters."

"Um, yes, well I hope you're not too busy tomorrow night."

"Why? What's going on tomorrow?"

"The Phantom of the Opera, that's what. I got us two tickets."

"But Ma, I don't like musical theatre!"

"Well there's no use whining about it dear, because you will enjoy this one. Besides, we need to get our lives back to normal...entertain ourselves..."

Nathan grimaced at her mention of getting their lives back to normal. How little she knew of his plans! Well, there was no harm in taking the tomorrow night off. Angela Petrelli loved musical theatre. It might be the last chance Nathan had to see her truly happy.

"...I thought you might to enjoy a relaxing evening with me."

"Okay ma, I'm in. I'll pick you up tomorrow night..."

**********

Angela had got them premium tickets which gave them an excellent close up view of the stage. Nathan wasn't familiar with the musical's storyline, so his Mom began explaining it before they were interrupted with the dimming of the lights.

What followed was one of the most entertaining two-and-a-half hours of Nathan's life. He was completely enthralled by the storyline, the excellently composed music, and the professionalism of the _dramatis personae_ and the stage design. He squeezed Angela's hand and smiled at her appreciately, and she smiled right back.

After the show, back at Angela's house, Nathan hugged his Mom.

"Thanks for tonight, Ma. I really enjoyed myself."

"I'm glad you did, son. You know I will always love you."

"I love you too."

Inwardly, Nathan cringed. He might was well have said, "Thanks again for the show. In return, please enjoy your indefinite imprisonment. It's all on me."

**********

Later that night, Nathan's nightmare began.

He dream went was the entire performance of The Phantom of the Opera, but instead of the singers in the performance he had seen, the cast were all the extraordinary people he had met and it was _himself_ who was The Phantom.

He saw his mother, his brother Peter, his daughter Claire, and a lot of other people with superpowers (whom he once had called his friends) dancing and singing in unison on the steps of a grand staircase. They all wore colourful masks and costumes.

"Masquerade. Paper faces on parade. Hide your face so the world will never find you."

Nathan, as the masked Phantom appeared, tall and terrible. He flew over the sea of masks, his cape unfurled to give him the appearance of a large black bat. The crowd cowered. They had hidden their faces from the world, yet they had been found. Now, they would pay dearly for it.

In the Phantom's underground lair, Claire was pleading with him for mercy while Peter struggled to survive with a noose around his neck. Familiar faces like Hiro, Tracy and Matt stumbled in the darkness, unable to escape.

Nathan himself had been unmasked to reveal his true face - handsome on the left half and horribly deformed on the right half. This was just like his personality. He was compassionate, confident and brillantly talented yet his cruelty had been hidden, which when unleashed had deadly consequences for all.

"I am your Angel of Music. Come to me Angel of Music," sang Nathan without any warmth.

"Release us! Have you no compassion?" begged Peter.

"The world showed no compassion to me!" growled Nathan. For the world was a cruel place, and Peter came to realise this when it was too late.

To Claire he threatened, "Choose me or send your precious Peter to his death! This is your choice, this is the point of no return!"

Claire sang, "Pitiful creature of darkness. What kind of life have you known? God give me courage to show you, you are not alone!"

Then Claire kissed him passionately on the lips. But instead of releasing them like he should have, he pulled a lever and they all plummeted to their doom. The sound of a thousand chandeliers crashing to the floor followed. Fade out.

Fade in, with a scene which was not in TPOTO. Nathan again had his mask on. He was chained by the wrists and ankles to two solid metal poles. He sang, "I've been chained here for an indefinite time. And so my fate is to stay here and die. It seems the only act that was my crime/Was the cursed ability to fly!"

Nathan struggled against the chains but they would not break. He looked to his right, where a stone cross now stood with the name "Peter Petrelli" engraved on it. He began to weep.

"Oh, Peter, what have I done? Forgive me!"

The theatre curtains began to draw.

Nathan woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, hyperventilating. His hand immediately felt his face, was not deformed, thank goodness! But the dream had all felt so real!

"It was just a dream. Just a nightmare, Nathan. Get a grip," he said to himself, while at the same time doubting his own words. He put his hand down on the top sheet of his bed, only it wasn't a top sheet at all. It was a black cape, the Phantom's cape. Nathan screamed at the top of his lungs, the Phantom's Overture playing loudly in his mind, and strobing lights filled the room. He rolled off the bed and lapsed into unconsciousness.

**********

It was mid morning the next day. He expected his family to leap out of the closet and yell "April Fools!" but it didn't happen. Anyhow, it was February. Nathan gripped the phone tightly, looking out the venetian blinds of his study, relieved somewhat that no psychos were prowling outside his home.

"What have you done to me, Ma?!"

"Calm down, Nathan. I won't speak to you while you are using that tone. Now what do you mean by 'What have you done to me?'"

"The nightmare, that's what I'm talking about. Me as the Phantom, Claire as Christine, Peter as Raoul, that's what I mean...and what was it with the cape, and the creepy music and lights?"

"What are you babbling about, son? Have you taken to the bottle again?"

"No!" Nathan shouted and slammed down the telephone receiver.

Angela smiled as she hung up. It was all working out precisely as she had planned.

Nathan could see in his mind columns of chained people being led to their dooms, and the headline of a major newspaper: "Senator carried away to funny farm, claims he is The Phantom of the Opera." He obviously didn't want any of this to happen for real. Even if Angela was the most scheming woman he had ever encountered, Peter was a self righteous pain in the ass and he didn't have a relationship to speak of with Claire, he knew that they loved him. Through an act of kindness, he could change the fates of these people, and himself.

**********

An hour later, Nathan made an important phone call.

"Mr. President, please hold for Senator Petrelli."

"Mr. President?"

"Senator. How nice to hear from you. How does it feel to be so close to having your bill passed?"

"Ah...well that's what I wanted to speak to about, sir. Mr. President, I want to ask you to withdraw the bill."

"What?" The President sat up straight. "For what reason?"

"I...I can't really explain it. I've just had a change of heart. I'll get this to you in writing with more details, but of course the decision about whether to withdraw or not will ultimately be yours."

"Thank you. Let me just say that I appreciate your loyalty, Nathan. You have my respect, and am intending at this point to withdraw the bill on your behalf."

"Thank you, Mr. President."

Nathan hung up, and sang softly, "You alone can make my song take flight. It's over now, the music of the night." He felt a great weight lifting off his shoulders, and realised that his time in the spotlight was over. He sat down in his executive office chair covered himself with the Phantom's cape. By the time the cape dropped to the floor, Nathan had disappeared. All that remained was a white mask resting serenely on the chair.

THE END


End file.
